Tough and honest mare Dance With Her may race at the Sydney autumn carnival after blowing most punters away with a shock first-up win in the $125,000 Golden Mile at Bendigo.Trained in partnership by David Brideoake and David Feek at Mornington, Dance With Her hadn't raced since last spring when 13th to Vintedge in the Group Two Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.The five-year-old daughter of Al Maher drifted from her opening quote of $51 to start at $71 with on-course bookmakers and paid $93
Tough and honest mare Dance With Her may race at the Sydney autumn carnival after blowing most punters away with a shock first-up win in the $125,000 Golden Mile at Bendigo.
Trained in partnership by David Brideoake and David Feek at Mornington, Dance With Her hadn't raced since last spring when 13th to Vintedge in the Group Two Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
The five-year-old daughter of Al Maher drifted from her opening quote of $51 to start at $71 with on-course bookmakers and paid $93.10 on SuperTAB.
The big crowd was silent when Dance With Her crossed the line a short neck ahead of Testacana ($4.80) with Happy Trails ($5) a length away third.
"She's a tough, genuine mare who absolutely adores racing," Feek said.
"She's a lovely mare to be associated with. She had 18 starts last preparation and never left a grain.
"She's a 92-rater and hard to place. We'll see how she pulls up and she'll probably go to the Pakenham Cup.
"I wouldn't rule out her going to Sydney considering how effective she is on wet tracks."
The $100,000 Pakenham Cup (1750m) is on Sunday week.
Dance With Her gave Feek his second feature win in 18 months of training with Brideoake while for apprentice Jake Noonan it was his biggest win since a serious race fall at Flemington in May last year.
Noonan, now 19, was knocked out in the fall and suffered head trauma which took him some time to recover from but that was all forgotten on Saturday.
The win being at Bendigo had special significance for Noonan.
"My godfather (Frank Flegg) is from Bendigo, he trains greyhounds and he's here today," Noonan said.
Feek combined with Brideoake to win the Listed Ansett Classic (2400m) on their home track at Mornington on October 1 last year with I'm Jake and they had the quinella in the race as Dance With Her was runner-up.
Dance With Her has raced 33 times for eight wins and 12 placings and Saturday's victory took her prize money earnings to just over $300,000.
Group Two winner Folding Gear was sent out $4.20 favourite and ran on to finish sixth without ever looking likely to win the 1600m race.